A Doodle for Andrea

I made the original doodle with one of Andrea's pens. And various stencils (for curves and circles.) Then I colored
it with pastels and charcoal. 5.5 x 8.5. Click image to view larger.

Another Me Me For You You TOO TOO

I have been untagged to do this meme. I am suppose to link to the person(s) that untagged me, which was Coffeypot. Thank you, sweet cranky funny man! I guess.

Post the rules on your blog.

Share 7 NEW random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. There's nothing new about me.  I'm old.  But I am always shocked at HOW old I am when I see pictures of myself.  In the mirror, I hold my head just so, and I look younger.  And besides, my eyesight isn't that good.  I like that fish in the mirror poem, it's exactly how I feel.  If I can find it, I'll link to it.  Meanwhile, one weird thing about me is that I used to be able to fold both thumbs back over the back of my hands and it always freaked people out, but now I can't do it any more.

2. I am wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt right now.  I got it at a Grateful Dead concert--but it was new Dead after Jerry Garcia died.  Biker Buddy came too.  We stood up and danced in our seats.  I would have danced in the aisles but the rent-a-cops wouldn't let us.  Maybe that's not weird.  I'm so weird that I can't tell what's weird and what's not.  NOTE: if you are wearing a Dead shirt right now, tell me. 

3.  I love listening to my son practice.  I know a lot of parents don't, but I do.

4.  I don't like watermelon.  I don't like hotdogs.  When I was a kid, I didn't like anything people fed to kids.  But I did like liver and onions and spinach and the crusts on bread.  Really.  Not to be perverse, but just because that's what I like.  I always preferred whole wheat or rye to white bread, even as a child, and never liked soft white bread that kids usually like.

5.  I like science.  I liked science when none of my girl friends did.  I was the only girl in most of my science classes in college.  I got ragged on and mistreated by some of my professors.  I still liked science anyway.  That's prolly not so weird now, but it was then.

6.  I never file my nails.  Biker Buddy files his though.

7.  I like going barefooted.  I climb mountains in my bare feet.

7b.  I can't remember which things I've said in prior memes.

OK, I tag:  Nadine, Berrybird, jo(e), Blue Rose, and you if you are reading this.  If you did it before and can think of 7 NEW things, go for it.  I think these memes come around more than once, like forwards.

Male Bonding?

I guess it's male bonding Day.  After eating together, Biker Buddy and Piano Boy just left to go to Barnes and Noble, leaving me here alone to put away the groceries (We're just back from shopping).  I'm only a wee teeny bit jealous/left out.  I think the Father-son bonding thing is really important--and getting books is always good too.

Mixed Emotions

I am making what I hope will be the last meal of the day.  It's a stir-fry with one small pork chop, cleaned of fat, and lots of veggies.  The pork chop is left over from a few days ago when I didn't eat my normal portion.  Now, I am very hungry.  My stomach is complaining madly and vividly and somewhat profanely. 

Although it is dinner, I am cooking and eating alone.  We normally go out to eat every other week at the Coney, but there is nothing at the Coney I can eat.  So Biker Buddy and Piano Boy went without me.  Biker Buddy home and Piano Boy was waiting at the door and he almost turned around and left without even kissing or hugging me.

When they left, I was flooded with emotion.  Two emotions to be precise.  YAY!  I'm free, I can do whatever I want and BOO! I'm alone and left out and deprived and suffering terribly.  LOL!  Both at once. So here I am alone in the house, as I usually am a good part of the day, but it does feel lonely and sad because normally at this time of day I'm with Biker Buddy and Piano Boy.  It doesn't feel the same as when I am home alone during the day.  Weird, I know.

It's getting dark out.  It's very warm.  I have to say I prefer it this way, but not if it means polar bears dying and melting icecaps etc.  The reason I am mentioning the warmth is because I'd like to go outside--preferably in nature, and enjoy it.  But it always seems as if there is too much to do.

My food is very plain.  I would have liked to have flavored it with wines and vinegars, but when I tried that a couple days ago, I got sick.  But hunger is a great provoker of appetite and it makes food taste better.  Even plain food.

I used to be a vegetarian.  I liked being a vegetarian.  It seems to be the right thing to do.  Diet for a small Planet and all that, and normally, healthier too.  But I'm allergic to beans and tofu and nuts and dairy and every form of vegetable protein.  And contrary to popular belief, vegetarians don';t just eat veggies.  However, I am thinking I will eat more brown rice and veggies and less meat.  The amount of protein an adult needs is actually very small.  I am going to make the switch slowly and gradually and hope it works out.  The last time I did that, I lost enormous amounts of weight.  And I was energetic and felt great.  I hope it works again.

I also need to eat more slowly.  I've known this for years, but I always so HUNGRY when the food arrives I tend gobble it down.  Suddenly, that plate of food is gone.  Admittedly, I feel a little better.  I wish I'd eaten a little more slowly and savored it.  It was good!  When I am on a diet, it is amazing how good simple foods start tasting.

I am on a diet, but when I am done dieting, I want to make some small changes that will transform the diet into a healthy eating plan for life and not fall back into bad eating habits.  The concept is simple, but not easy:  fresh fruits and vegetables cooked (if at all) with minimal fats,whole grains, and minimal amounts of animal proteins.  Local organic foods whenever possible because it is not only better for me, but also better for the earth.  Sounds simple, right.  But here's what I can't eat:  dairy products (I'm allergic):  no pizza, lasagna, ice cream, etc, no chocolate, coffee, tea or alcohol, no refined carbohydrates (no desserts, no cakes pies, cookies, candy etc, no bread, rolls, crackers, snacks), no nuts.  It makes it hard to live in the world, at least in our world.  Which is why I am here alone and Biker Buddy and Piano Boy are at the Coney without me.

fog and longing

I don't know why it is, but I love fog. It seems mysterious and beckoning, it encloses things and makes them seem both wilder and simpler. It hides things. It was very very foggy yesterday, because of the thaw and melting snow. I desperately wanted to run around in the woods taking pictures, but by the time we got out of the motorcycle show, it was dark. WAHN!


These pictures were taken in the dark.


Right there at the arena where they held the show, I discovered a
frozen pond with many muskrat houses! YAY! It was already pretty
dark, but I had fun attempting to get some pictures. You can see the
lights from the surrounding area in some of the pond pictures. By the
time we got to Kensington Metropark, it was totally dark. I was very
disappointed, but I did take some pictures there with my tripod,
which, after adjustment, don't look like night.

I was really pleased to see the pond and muskrat houses. I like
muskrats. I like nature, and I don't get enough of it any more to
suit me. WAHN!

But it was nice to get a mini fix of nature last night. YAY! And to be somewhere a little different. I don't get out as much in the winter.

Superfast

A superfast painting. I'm not good at that.

A Retake on Q is for Quacking Queen

I appreciated Berrybird's supportive suggestions, but I still decided to paint this over because I wasn't really happy with it. It's a long ways from perfect, but it is better than it was. Click image to view larger.

Today--thaw

We're having a thaw that's supposed to last several days. We rode our
motorcycles down to Pier Park. The Bay is still frozen out about 75
to 100 feet, then open water. Those boats are on ice, It's supposed
to rain though, for several days.

I am still blogging, as you can see. However, I am trying to get organized to start on several big projects and once I do, I may not be able to blog every day.

Q is for Quacking Queen

Yes, I know, the head is too big for the body. Not all my art pieces
are successful. I could prolly fix it, but I am out of time for this
session. This is for the kids' alphabet book. I painted it from
scractch on the computer, and it sort of sucks. Sometimes I do
reasoanble work and sometimes less so but I keep trying and playing.
My goal is to have FUN at my work. And to learn something new. To
keep growing. I sometimes learn more from my failures than from my
successes and if I don't keep trying, I'll never improve.

Playing with my art

I did some more painting on this picture.

This is what is FUN about being an artist--playing. YAY!